The Way She Shines
by Shamelsshussy
Summary: Post "I Am Unicorn" ficlet. No spoilers, but general post 3.02 feelings. Brittany and Santana work on campaign posters and are generally adorbable.


**A/N: Just a little something after episode 3.02. I was thinking Santana was really trying to be a good girl, and a good friend to Brittany, and that doing so only reminded her what she loved about her in the first place. So here's a little scene that came to mind based on that idea. **

The smell of dinner wafts up the stairs. Hamburgers. Fried onions. Wild rice. That roasted brussles sprouts and beets thing that Brittany loves but her sister always just pushes around on her plate.

There's the faraway clink of cutlery, a low hum of voices saying comfortable things about permission slips and plans for the weekend.

Santana will be staying for dinner.

Up in Brittany's room, she tilts her head and squints at the posters arrayed on Brittany's bed.

"I think that one needs more glitter."

But Brittany doesn't hand over the tube of glitter. Instead, she pushes a pile of poster board off her lap, stands up and walks over to where Santana is standing

"Santana?"

"Yeah."

"Thank you."

Santana shrugs, but a smile flits across her face before she turns to the next poster and frowns again. "Maybe we should have done this in purple." She gestures at one of the posters in front of her. "Here."

Brittany barely glances at the poster Santana is pointing to. "I think it's good."

Her eyes are on Santana instead, intent on the indent Santana's teeth make in her lower lip as she bites it, the crumpled arc of her eyebrow that means she's thinking hard.

"Um. So. We have some time before dinner…"

Brittany lets her words trail off, continues the thought with a touch. Her fingers glide from Santana's wrist to her elbow. Lingering, she traces a swirl with her middle and index fingers on Santana's soft skin.

Santana ducks her head to hide the flush that hits her cheeks.

She needs a deep breath before she's able to answer the question Brittany didn't exactly ask.

"We should…we should finish these. You need to have them up tomorrow; everyone else has already been…"

Brittany let her fingers climb higher while Santana spoke; she's stroking Santana's bicep now. She doesn't say anything, just sways a little so the fringe on her Cheerios skirt bats against Santana's thigh.

Santana takes a step back. "Britt…"

Now it's Brittany's turn to frown. "You really don't want to?"

Santana swallows hard and turns to rummage through the art supplies littering Brittany's desk. "Maybe we can mix the silver and purple…"

"I guess..."

Brittany's voice is soft. Santana knows when she turns around, she'll see that pout.

She doesn't turn around.

She trains her eyes on the tubes of glitter she's holding, unscrews and re-screws the top on the purple one.

"It's not that I don't want to."

Brittany grins, relieved. She walks up behind Santana and nudges the back of her right knee with her kneecap, makes it bend. But she stays quiet. She wants to hear the rest.

"But we don't have to. You know?"

Brittany shakes her head, no. Santana still doesn't turn around, but she watches Brittany in the mirror above the desk.

Santana looks down again and Brittany bends a little, exhales hard so that warm breath hits the nape of her neck.

Santana leans back until she bumps up against the warm, familiar curve of Brittany's chest.

She likes this.

She likes the shining colors of the glitter in her hands, she likes the prickly feeling of dried glue on her palm. She likes the smell of dinner and the color of dusk creeping over the windowsill.

The flutter in her stomach becomes a steady beat, sending waves of warmth through her limbs. Her fingertips are buzzing, like the do when she presses them to Brittany's mouth, or the pulse at her jugular vein.

Santana licks her lips.

"I like you so much, Brittany."

Brittany digs her chin into Santana's shoulder.

"Duh. You love me."

"Yeah. But I really_ like_ you too. I like doing everything with you. Not just…"

Santana stops before the end of the sentence, opens the purple glitter, sticks her index finger in to the container. She takes it out again, her fingertip covered in shining purple flakes.

Brittany waits for Santana to meet her gaze in the mirror, then nods once, her cheek brushing against Santana's ear.

It tickles.

A smile breaks over Santana's face and she's so pretty Brittany immediately plants a smacking wet kiss on the high, round curve of her cheek.

Santana reaches down for Brittany's right hand, brings it up until Brittany's forearm presses against her ribs. She swipes her glittering fingertip along Brittany's arm leaving a trail of shimmering purple against her pale skin.

Brittany puts both arms around Santana and squeezes her so hard that she feels Santana's ribs squeak.

They're still standing, watching themselves in the mirror twenty minutes later when Brittany's mother calls up the stairs.

"Girls. Come. Eat."


End file.
